CLEVELAND — Glenville seniors Bryce West and D’Shawntae Jones can graduate saying they helped bring Glenville its first state championship.

“Every time I go somewhere or have Glenville merch on or something, they always praise me, tell me congratulations or good luck,” Jones said. 

“You could be like, I was one of the first person to ever bring, I was the first person to bring a state title home,” West said. 

Now they could be the first class to win back-to-back state titles. They’ve come a long way since their freshman season was ruined by the pandemic.

“Coach Ginn calls us the Covid group,” Jones said. 

Head coach Ted Ginn Sr. said this senior class may be the best ever, since they brought the program to elite status. It brought him to tears after getting his first state championship.

Ginn said winning the first title for a Cleveland public high school dispelled stereotypes about inner-city teams not having the discipline to play at the highest level. He said winning a second title would send a stronger message.

“It will mean it wasn’t a fluke,” Ginn said. “We are capable of repeating. We are capable of playing high-level football.”

The two seniors tell Spectrum News that the first title brought their program to a new level, and winning back-to-back titles can keep it there.

“It would mean a lot of bragging rights to the alumni,” Jones said.

“When we won one, I was like Saturday morning, I was like I know I gotta come back next year and win another one,” West said.